Migrant Fleet
A fleet of 50,000 craft holding over 17 million quarians, the Migrant Fleet is the largest array of spacefaring vessels in the known galaxy. Though quarians on Pilgrimage have visited most settled worlds in the galaxy, few outsiders have ever stepped foot inside the quarians' ships. History Sometimes referred to as the Flotilla, the Migrant Fleet is the massive collection of starships that became home to the quarians after they were driven from their homeworld by the geth. The Migrant Fleet consists of roughly fifty thousand ships that house seventeen million quarians in total. The Fleet is so large it can take days for all the ships to pass through a mass relay. Some of the vessels date from the original flight from the geth. The Migrant Fleet is rarely welcoming to outsiders, as any risk to the Fleet is a risk to the quarian species. Quarians rarely leave except to go on Pilgrimage; ships sometimes leave on an individual basis to pursue their own goals, on missions that can last days or years, but usually return. As described by many quarians, their culture considers home to be a state of mind. Life Aboard the Fleet The Migrant Fleet is broken up into various clans, sometimes spread over several ships. Each individual ship has long been retrofitted to house as large a crew as possible. Over time the quarians thin out the vessels they can't use or are too damaged to repair, pooling the credits to buy and convert new ships. Due to the high value of ships, stealing one is a capital crime among the quarians. Conditions aboard every vessel in the migrant fleet are extremely cramped. One cruiser, the Idenna, had a quarian population of nearly seven hundred, while an Alliance cruiser of comparative size would have only around eighty crewmen. Space is at a premium because of the sheer numbers of quarians living aboard the flotilla. Captains are also keen to increase the size of their crew, as this increases their status in quarian society. Living space is therefore a priority; the cargo holds of freighters, for example, are converted into small compartments for individuals to live in, often lined with colourful fabrics to make it an individual space and reduce noise. Quarians also serve volunteer rotations aboard the three liveships which form the heart of the Fleet. Enormous vessels which are recognized as being incredible feats of aerospace and agricultural engineering, the liveships provide much of the food for the quarian migrant fleet. If even one of these vital ships was destroyed or damaged beyond repair, millions would starve. For this reason they are positioned in the center of the fleet. Everything the quarians do must help to ensure the continued survival of the fleet. The pilgrimage forms a large part of this, as well as being a cultural rite of passage and a safeguard against inbreeding. The pilgrimage also gives quarians a chance to explore galactic society and appreciate their own people back on the flotilla. Young quarians are prepared for their pilgrimage by having lessons in life outside the migrant fleet, receiving gifts to help them, and being treated for immunodeficiency before they are allowed to leave. Apart from their pilgrimages, quarians typically spend their entire lives living shipboard and contributing to the flotilla. In addition, quarians do not normally welcome outsiders onto the migrant fleet, because visitors carry an unacceptable risk of contagion; taken together, these factors mean quarians tend to be quite insular, caring little about the galaxy outside the fleet. Upon the migrant fleet's arrival in a system, the quarians begin strip-mining local planets for resources. In colonized systems, quarians are also often hired "under the table" by corporations for their specialized skills, replacing existing workers. These practices make the approach of the migrant fleet a very unpopular prospect. Some species make a "gift" of fuel, food, or ships if they know the flotilla is approaching in order to discourage the quarians from entering their systems. Organization Government * The Conclave The thousands of ships that make up the Migrant Fleet are organized into four groups, each commanded by a different member of the Admiralty Board and each filling an integral role in the overall fleet. Civilian Fleet The Civilian Fleet consists of all of the quarians' civilian ships, the majority of the Migrant Fleet, and the liveships. Heavy Fleet The Heavy Fleet is the main military force of the Migrant Fleet, comprised of all quarian vessels suited for sustained combat, including several heavy frigates and advanced fighter squadrons. Patrol Fleet The Patrol Fleet manages navigation, internal security, and intership conflicts or crimes for the Migrant Fleet. The Patrol Fleet consists of mostly light frigates and fighters, and in times of war is assigned to guard the Heavy Fleet's flank. Special Projects The Special Projects arm of the Migrant Fleet is a collection of research vessels responsible for many technical breakthroughs used by the rest of the Fleet. Known Vessels